ramari

I've moved!

2011-02-10T14:53:00.000-08:00

I have moved my blog so it is attached to my new website.
Please go to my new blog and add it to your bookmarks.

http://ramaritextiles.co.nz/blog/

check out the rest of my new site too!

http://ramaritextiles.co.nz

Thanks for following, Leanne.

New Year

2011-02-08T14:40:00.000-08:00

After a busy end to 2010 my blog was put on the back burner and Facebook became, for a short while anyway, a outlet for information about Ramari Textiles. With the new year and the very near launch of my website I thought it a good time to write about it all on the blog.

I have opened my shop again after a short silly season break. I having been making lots of new stuff including printed cushions, silk scarf blankets and Sitting Pretty cloth dolls. Last weekend I emptied the shop and took all my work to Martinborough Fair where I had a stall. It was a very hot day but people were still seen on warm woolly cushions, blankets and felted bags.

Other exciting news is I will be in NZ House&Garden in the winter with my shop and studio.

Just a note about my hours. I am now open saturday, sunday and monday 10.30 - 4.00pm. Other days by appointment.

Silk and Wool and More

2010-08-16T20:08:00.000-07:00

What a busy few weeks I've had! My shop is going ok with 4 visitors yesterday which is great for a monday. I spent the weekend at Castlepoint Beach tutoring a Silkpainting workshop to a group of women from all over the Wairarapa. It was lovely but busy. Great company and all my meals supplied - what more could you ask for! We made brooches out of the silk though some kept their piece as a scarf or headband. I love painting on silk and hope to more soon when there is a spare moment.

I have also been knitting and felting bangles after seeing the idea on the net. I have made some smaller ones too to go on a long lace or strap around the neck. I found some 70's crochet patterns and have been trying them out with a windmill looking flower that will be either a brooch or be sewn on to a cushion.

Sold

2010-07-09T22:07:00.000-07:00

We had the opening of the tutors exhibition last evening and I sold my crocheted wire and wool vessel - yay! Encouragement to make some more. Back to work!

"What We Do"

2010-07-05T20:36:00.000-07:00

I work part-time at a community Arts work space and this week all my work colleagues and I are exhibiting our own work at Aratoi Museum of Art and History in Masterton. The opening is on friday 9th July at 5.30pm and you're all welcome.

The shop is going well and I have had visitors from Christchurch and Auckland this week. I have made some lovely neck warmers from a wool/bamboo blend in muted blues and greys.

Also am in the process of finishing some more felted bags for the shop, will post some pictures when they are ready.

Freshly Baked Brooches

2010-06-16T19:17:00.000-07:00

Working with the much loved peggy or granny square, depending on which side you butter your toast, I created a few new brooches to adorn winter coats, hats or bags. A two dimensional aspect was reached with the addition of, also much loved, buttons. All one offs and available from my backyard headquarters.

Studio Shelf Dweller

2010-06-13T21:42:00.001-07:00

2010-06-06T23:27:00.000-07:00

Just finished a bunch of flower brooches all made with woollen fabric or old blankets.

Great for going on a winter coat!

Making a Shed a Shop

2010-06-05T20:26:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was by first day of business and although I had no sales I did have some visitors. Today the weather is not suited to being out and about unless you are a duck or very keen.

When the rain did ease up a wee while ago I had a visit from a friend who I was printing some Carterton cushions for. They turned out well and are going to going into her new gallery in Carterton called Red Moa. It will be opening soon and will be fabulous!

It was fun yesterday setting up the shop as being inside is a bit of a novelty after years of doing outside markets and having to contend with all sorts of weather. So calm reigns supreme in my small but perfectly formed retail outlet.

Open Tomorrow

2010-06-04T04:40:00.001-07:00

The ramari textiles shop will open tomorrow at 10.30 until 4pm. You'll find me a t80 Park Road, Carterton. Also open on Carterton tomorrow is agnescoy.co.nz and harmanandharman.net.nz

All filled with beautiful creations our businesses have become a trio called Made In Carterton and actively promote each other and our wonderful community.

Call in and say hello.

My Website

2010-06-01T20:32:00.000-07:00

I am in the process of creating my website for the purposes of online purchasing.

www.ramaritextiles.co.nz

Ramari Textiles Shop

2010-05-26T21:07:00.000-07:00

My new shop is nearly ready to open and it looks like it will be next weekend - 5th or 6th June.

Yay it's taken a while but today I sanded and scrubbed the floor which was the last major job. Now I have to fill it with all kinds of colourful stuff and wait for punters to come in and be amazed (hopefully) and spend some money.

Also this week I was featured in a Wellington magazine called Fishhead. It was in an article about Carterton and all the arty crafty things happening here. Grab a copy if you can. Also featured were Agnes Coy and Harman and Harman also known to me as Alison and Lisa. We have started "Made In Carterton", banding together to promote Carterton and each other. Look out for our cards in information centres, cafes and retailers around the Wairarapa and beyond. A new gallery, Red Moa, is opening soon in Carterton next to Bambino Cafe. I am printing some of my Carterton cushions for the owner, Andrea. Thanks Andrea for adding to the creative community and making our town even more interesting.

Its all go thats for sure and the weather is decidedly cold but that is good because it means snow is falling somewhere and I like snow.

Better go and feed the chooks now as they go to bed early these days and best not forget the cat!

Balmy Autumn and Embroidery

2010-04-28T04:17:00.000-07:00

I have been making the most of the beautiful weather we have had lately and getting lots of painting done on my new shop and I will put the last coat of paint on tomorrow and then a quick paint on the inside and I can start decorating and getting set up. Its all go soon.

I found some embroidery transfer books from the 70's, I think, and have been stitching the designs onto scrap pieces of linen to use in an artwork. Am looking forward to experimenting with them and paint. Also have been stitching thick watercolour paper on the machine to see what happens - so far so good - will post some photos when they are completed.

My lovely friend Al gave me a whole beautiful roll of brilliant blue rick rack which I love. It's just waiting to be made into something but so far I know not what and is sitting around looking beautiful. Many thanks Al!

Shop and Wabbits

2010-03-21T16:53:00.000-07:00

Have spent the few months busy with making things for markets and orders which was fun but I am glad to have some time to do other chores. I have been bottling tomatoes from our garden and shelling beans to add to the larder. We grew pinto beans and am trying the scarlett runner beans too. The flower garden is still looking colourful and todays rain is welcome if not inconvenient.

My Ramari Textiles shop project is taking shape with cleaning out and painting the last two jobs to complete. I have choosen colours and sorted fittings and lights to enchance it's small but perfect interior. I have lots of stock to fill its shelves including Wabbits. Made from recycled vintage fabric and old woollen blankets with a wool stuffing these soft toys have been popular with children and adults.

I will have a definite opening date soon when I am closer to the state of being ready. So more imformation in my next post.

Greytown Arts Festival

2010-01-26T00:26:00.000-08:00

I have had a great weekend being part of a Art and Garden Tour in Greytown. I didn't see many of the other events on offer but had a lovely social time selling my wares at Westwood Country House. By all accounts the weekend was a huge success even though the weather was totally erratic at times. I was joined by two very talented friends, Janet Green, a potter from Masterton and Alison Norris-Baber who has a creative textile business called Agnes Coy. Both make amazing pieces that inspire and bring joy to those who know them.

I created some new cozies and cushions for the day and took a few pics for the memories.

Also added a photo of beautiful Taranaki Hydrangas.

Spring Creations

2009-09-23T20:03:00.000-07:00

I made a few new goodies for a recent local market which was a success. It was great to be part of the community on such a beautiful day. The Carterton cushions were popular and there was interest in t-shirts with the same design on the front.

Cloth Doll and Tui

2009-08-28T04:25:00.000-07:00

I have just finished a doll made from linen and with a filling of carded sheeps fleece. I am giving it to a friends daughter for her birthday. I plan to make more. I enjoyed inventing and making up the dress and then crocheting a wee hat with glass beads. She has a small contented face and no shoes. Its great to use all those small bits of fabric that I find so hard to get rid of.

We have had visits from Tuis's in our apricot tree and they are very photogenic.

Spring Fever

2009-08-19T17:23:00.000-07:00

Has been a wee while since I last posted any news or photos so here goes. Have been laid up for the last week with some nasty flu and am recovering slowly. Beautiful spring weather has helped with blossoms and songful birds filling up the garden. I have been working on embroided and felted brooches and have posted a few samples. They are a great project for a winters night and reasonably fast to complete. There is always some project that I am working on and at the moment it is tea cozies (again). They are very bright and girly and I love them. Also I am trying to build up stock for upcoming events that I am taking part in - (more info later).

We are also working on an old army hut on our property to use as a shop for all my creations but that is a wee way away yet and will be very exciting when it does happen. We are near the end of turning an old garden shed into a fabulous kitchen, yesterday all the plumbing was completed which was a biggie in the progress department.

It sounds like it is all go this spring and all I can say is that it is! Being sick does'nt help but allows time for rest and planning for the busy future. Summer sounds good!

Not For Porridge

2009-06-05T02:54:00.000-07:00

I have been experimenting with wool and wire crocheted together into decorative bowls. This pink one I gave to a friend for her birthday.

Gifts

2009-05-21T02:45:00.000-07:00

Autumn turned into winter yesterday. The autumn colours are still around but there is snow falling in the hills. The wood pile is making itself useful and the cat is a heat seeking missile.

I have been making my sister gifts for her birthday, a red felted bag and a toilet roll cover. The latter was a pretend present to begin with but has become a real thing. It will be given with as much love as the bag and will be sadly missed.

We are driving north tomorrow and hope the weather is kind to us on the way. We are glad to have the cold weather as its means that we will soon be snowboarding on the slopes of Mt Ruapehu. I dread the first dismount from the chairlift on the first day but I usually survive, surprising myself with a stylish if not vocal exit.

Keep warm and long live soup.

Tea Cozy

2009-05-13T18:13:00.000-07:00

I have just completed this cozy for a retail outlet I have in Wellington. They are a joy to creat and are very photogenic. This one has a red knitted lining for extra warmth.

Autumn Sunset

2009-04-26T15:12:00.000-07:00

Easter 80th Birthday

2009-04-13T20:08:00.000-07:00

Shelled Barlotti Beans

2009-03-31T22:32:00.001-07:00

A few Photos

2009-03-29T13:23:00.000-07:00

In the last week I have been busy gardening and crafting has taken a bit of a back seat.

I went out to the coast with my fellow workers and enjoyed being next to the Pacific Ocean.

Photos From Today

2009-03-18T01:02:00.000-07:00

My well dressed mannequin enjoyed a day in the garden and our new chicken's nest was discovered in the pumpkin patch. I arranged them artfully on the twilight lawn.

Early Autumn

2009-03-17T01:38:00.000-07:00

It seems summer is slowing down. Our firewood shed has been visited a few times in the last month and we have enjoyed the warmth of our fire. Our garden is producing baskets of food and we love it. I have been bottling tomatoes which will come in handy in the depth of winter. Our pumpkin crop is looking very healthy, we dined on two varieties tonight - delicious!

The making and crafting never stops around here and I have been making, for one thing, felted shoulder and carry bags. Having made them in the height of summer which was strange , I can't wait to snugger one the colder month. The process is quite magical with a huge over-sized object becoming a well proportioned mode a transporting all the useful things we need at hand. And we know those are many!

My pets still entertain us without effort and I sometimes run to grab my camera to catch something comical or just plain cute.

I recently helped run a felted wool and bead workshop at work. It was successful and everyone went home with a beautiful piece of work to wear. There are just so many great ideas out there for us to enjoy.

I have started going to a sewing night class with a couple of textile queens and we have fun and also learn tips and processes from our great tutor which is what it's all about I guess.

We visited the Monet exhibition in Wellington today. It was amazing to see such beautiful work - very inspiring! I recommend it to you all!

2008-12-15T00:29:00.000-08:00

Our local Christmas parade was very entertaining and diverse this year. It was a brilliant day and we had a friend visiting from Gisborne so we got to show her how the community comes together and drives slowly down the main street with the help of the local brass and pipe band. Then it was home to smell the sweetpeas and to have lunch in the garden.

I have been meaning to send a photo of our cat to the pet page in the saturday Dominion for ages. He loves to help out when I hang the towels on the line, if helping is the right word!

I recently put a painting into an exhibition at Aratoi in Masterton for their 'Little Jewels'. One of my crocheted flowers was the subject. There were loads of beautiful little jewels on display from all around the Wairarapa.

I am busy making another tea cozy for an outlet I have in Wellington called Vessel. They have lots of great ceramics and are getting into stocking more textiles work. Also I have just purchased a knitting machine which is all very exciting. I bought it off a lovely women who belongs to knitting machine club. I am looking forward to creating on my new machine!

My knitting needles are calling so Merry Christmas and a Happy Happy New Year!

2008-11-22T18:26:00.000-08:00

In october I went to a gathering of craft/object makers, writers, collectors, curators and students.

It was called Volume and over the weekend we heard from various speakers on the position of craft in the art world. It was great to hear about what people are creating and to meet like-minded folk who appreciate and obsess over making stuff, like me.

The doors of mainstream galleries and museums are being opened wider to people like me who take crafts and skills, in my case learnt as a child, and turn them into objects that can be sold on a venue of high art.

Many of us learnt domestic hand crafts from mothers, fathers, grandparents and aunties. I can't begin to explain how happy I am Mum thought these things were important and I guess, part of growing up in the 60's and 70's. It's just what you did.

My thanks goes to those at the Hawkes Bay Art Gallery and Museum who made this event a success. Part of the weekend was a Buy, Sell or Swap Craft Market. It was fun and I have put up photos of some of my creations. I came home with some treasures and my stock slightly depleted. Yay!

It was nice to be home again. My garden is always very welcoming, weeds and all!

2008-11-12T18:40:00.000-08:00

This is my first post and as I love to take photos I thought that would be a good place to start - all are things that I have made or grown in my garden. I love my garden and at the moment it is lush and green and gorgeous. In this warm late spring my sweetpeas are just starting to bloom and the rose "Charles De Mill" is showing how lovely it really is.

Textiles is another love. Knitting, crochet, sewing and more. My round knitted cushions look great against the stones in front of my studio. They look like a bunch of kina or sea urchins who have been stranded by an outgoing tide.

My frog jug enjoyed a head full of sweetpeas and my clay birds are now residing on stakes in the garden and looking very much at home.